Jumat, 01 Juni 2012
Terkadang Kita Lupa Bahwa Kita Terbatas
Tinggalkan dulu DVD Avenger mu.
Pergi dan datanglah kepada cermin,
Dan tataplah dengan seksama apa yang cermin itu katakan.
Apa yang cermin itu ceritakan, tentang orang yang berada didalamnya tersebut. (itu adalah Anda)
Bercerminlah ....
Maka kita akan mengerti bahwa kita punya keterbatasan.
Jangan berasa kita maha sempurna hanya dengan kita berasa lebih mengetahui daripada orang lain, dan juga jangan merasa Sempurna ketika kita memiliki lebih banyak dibandingkan oleh orang lain.
Bersyukurlah ....
Karena kita ada untuk berbagi kepada sesama, kita ada untuk membantu satu dengan yang lainnya, tolong menolong, dan tenggang rasa.
Kita pasti tidak akan mampu menampung semua beban yang datang kepada kita, maka berbagilah dan memberilah. Kita mulai pudar, kita mulai terlena, kita mulai merasa bahwa kita adalah segalanya.
Padahal kenyataannya kita terbatas.
Lihatlah isi dunia, ini tidak semata-mata untuk Anda, melainkan untuk semua umat yang bernama manusia, maka berbagilah. Jangan merasa hanya Anda yang berhak atas segala-galanya dimuka bumi ini. Jangan merasa hanya Andalah yang pantas menerima semua keberuntungan dimuka bumi ini, karena kita ada karena orang-orang disekitar kita.
Kita hidup bukan hanya sekedar untuk hari ini, kita hidup untuk esok hari. Sekarang Anda tanam kebaikan, maka esok hari atau lusa akan timbul kebaikana untuk Anda.
Kita selalu diajarkan untuk Tepo Seliro, lapang dada, dan selalu percaya kepada Tuhan. Tapi terkadang kita merasa kita adalah Tuhannya, dengan memerintah orang dengan semua kekuasaan yang kita punya, dengan financial yang kita miliki, maka Tuhan akan cemburu kepada Anda.
Bagilah kepada mereka (yang membutuhkan), berimanlah pada kelemahan, dan selalu berfikir diatas langit masih ada langit lagi, maka itu yang akan menjadikan Anda sadar bahwa kita makhluk terbatas.
Salam Kreatif,
@rie fabian
www.fabianstudio.biz
Kita selalu diajarkan untuk Tepo Seliro, lapang dada, dan selalu percaya kepada Tuhan. Tapi terkadang kita merasa kita adalah Tuhannya, dengan memerintah orang dengan semua kekuasaan yang kita punya, dengan financial yang kita miliki, maka Tuhan akan cemburu kepada Anda.
Bagilah kepada mereka (yang membutuhkan), berimanlah pada kelemahan, dan selalu berfikir diatas langit masih ada langit lagi, maka itu yang akan menjadikan Anda sadar bahwa kita makhluk terbatas.
Salam Kreatif,
@rie fabian
www.fabianstudio.biz
Kamis, 31 Mei 2012
Fabian Terus Berevolusi
Dulu saya bukan orang yang bervisi untuk memiliki mesin untuk sebuah studio design. Karena saya mengandalkan senjata rahasianya adalah "kreatif" sebagai ujung tombak dari sebuah studio design. Tapi kini dibawah kepemimpinan kenan fabian visi itu bergerak dan berevolusi.
Awalnya saya menentang untuk memiliki mesin pada saat kenan fabian mengajukan arah pengembangannya. Namun begitu dia beberkan beberapa visi barunya tentang studio yang akan diusungkannya, maka saya tertarik.
"Kreatifitas itu bukan hanya apa yang didesign, melainkan kreatifitas adalah apa yang dihasilkannya (produk)", Setidaknya ini sebuah argumentasi yang kuat, yang membuat saya berfikir ulang, memang sudah saatnya mereka berkembang dan berevolusi.
Ini bukan permasalahan saya pribadi, tapi ini menjadi permasalahan mereka (fabian Studio), maka sebenarnya mereka yang jelas lebih mengetahui duduk permasalahannya.
Dari pemikiran itu maka saya harus mendukung atas apa yang mereka kerjakan terhadap studio mereka (fabian Studio).
"Dan bukan cuma cukup sampai disini aja jo, nanti fabian juga akan beli mesin-mesin besar", lanjut kenan berstatement.
Saya mulai melihat semangat mereka untuk tumbuh, saya mulai melihat mereka terus berevolusi, bermetamorfosis layaknya kepompong yang berusaha menjadi kupu-kupu.
Maju terus aja untuk Fabian Studionya, saya siap mendukung Anda semua.
Salam Kreatif,
@rie fabian
Parting Shots...
Ok, so last week I wrote about great songs that opened albums. Beatles producer George Martin is oft quoted that an album needs to start with what he called a good “potboiler.” But how does one finish an album? I would think songs that finish an album have to have two things – 1) leave your audience wanting more for the next album. The listener’s reaction should not “meh”; 2) have a song that can’t possibly be followed by any other on a given album. I haven’t found nearly as many closing songs as I have opening songs, hence a much shorter list.
The End [The Doors, The Doors, 1967] – The surviving Doors themselves will play any song except this one. Remember, this was the mid-1960s, and songs like this were just starting to be accepted as something to be listened to. This was the era when music was getting away from the very tight 3-minute format and has to have a good beat you can dance to. How does one dance to a “kill the father, fuck the mother” story, especially an entrancing 11-minute epic like this one? This got the Doors fired from the Whiskey A Go-Go, but it also got them a recording contract. After 45 years it’s still amazing music.
Whipping Post [Allman Brothers Band, The Allman Brothers Band, 1969] – Gregg Allman is mistreated by a woman and boy is he pissed about it. This song follows Dreams, the slow 7-minute spellbinding glimpse into Gregg Allman’s Southern Gothic visions. Berry Oakley’s thunderous bass intro sets the ominous tone, the drummers are relentless, Duane and Dickey are blistering. Gregg is channeling bluesmen from years past to give a vocal performance that belies his 22 years. How could such a young guy be so world-weary?
Won't Get Fooled Again [The Who, Who's Next, 1971] – Who’s Next was quite an album. It has their best opening song [Baba O’Riley] and their best closing song [Won’t Get Fooled Again]. There’s a lot of good stuff in-between as well. The live version from The Kids Are Alright is even better because of John Entwistle.
Hallowed Be Thy Name [Iron Maiden, The Number of the Beast, 1982] – Iron Maiden’s best song and it’s a beauty. It opens with an atmosphere of doom as the song’s protagonist is waiting in a jail cell to be hanged. There are quite a few tempo changes throughout, and Bruce Dickinson sings his butt off. This is a master class in progressive metal. Their version from Rock in Rio is even better.
Desolation Row [Bob Dylan, Highway 61 Revisited, 1965] – “They’re selling postcards of the hanging…” Eleven minutes with a lot of singing – how does Dylan [or anyone else] remember all the words?
Truckin' [Grateful Dead, American Beauty, 1970] – “Living on reds, Vitamin C and cocaine, all a friend can say is ‘ain’t it a shame’….” What a long strange trip indeed.
A Day in the Life [The Beatles, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967] – The Beatles had lots of great songs to start albums, but not a lot to finish them. There’s A Day in the Life and Tomorrow Never Knows, both of which can’t possibly be followed by another song on their respective albums. I chose this one with the flip of a coin.
When the Levee Breaks [Led Zeppelin, LZ IV, 1971] – Two words – John Bonham. Undoubtedly the best drum sound he ever got on any Led Zeppelin recording was recorded in a spiral staircase at Headley Grange. The bass drum sounds like a cannon shot. The rest of the band doesn’t sound too bad either.
Brain Damage/Eclipse [Pink Floyd, The Dark Side of the Moon, 1973] – Technically these are two songs, but like ZZ Tops’ Waitin’ for the Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago, you never hear one without the other. On most of Pink Floyd’s albums, the last song was an anti-climax, but this is a great climax. There’s no dark side of the moon really…matter of fact it’s all dark…
Moonlight Mile [Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers, 1971] – This is one of the best ballads the Stones ever recorded. It’s about life as a coked-up rock star keeping up appearances on the road that gently closes Sticky Fingers. It’s an oriental-sounding piece with a string section courtesy of Paul Buckmaster. There’s no Keith in sight on this one – there doesn’t need to be as both Micks have the musical end covered very well.
Voodoo Child [Slight Return] [Jimi Hendrix Experience, Electric Ladyland, 1968] – At first I thought Are You Experienced? would be the Hendrix song, but something in the back of my mind said there was something better, and I remembered this song [Doh!]. Hendrix’s best album ends with a one-two punch of All Along the Watchtower and Voodoo Child [Slight Return]. How could I forget?
Redemption Song [Bob Marley, Uprising, 1980] – This is the last song from Bob Marley’s last album to be released in his lifetime. It’s just him and an acoustic guitar – very un-reggae. There is an electric band version, but it doesn’t convey the power of the message as the solo acoustic version. The lines "Emancipate yourself from mental slavery/None but ourselves can free our minds" come from a speech by Marcus Garvey. Political anthems don’t get much more enduring than this.
Keep Me In Your Heart [Warren Zevon, The Wind, 2003] – Warren Zevon knew he was dying when he made this. The song says “goodbye” in a very poignant, tender way. This song kept running through my head at my brother-in-law’s funeral.
The Show Must Go On [Queen, Innuendo, 1991] – Freddie Mercury knew he was dying when he made this. A most dramatic way to end a career – how typical of Freddie.
Let It Rain [Eric Clapton, Eric Clapton, 1970] – The first time I saw Eric Clapton was at Red Rocks in 1983. We had good weather until this song. When Clapton sang “Let It Rain…,” we got rain. He really is God! J That being said, this song, and the solo that goes with it, is really the first shot of Eric Clapton’s solo career.
The Thrill Is Gone [BB King, Completely Well, 1969] – BB King’s most famous song. BB wrings a lot of emotion out of Lucille. He’s finally away from a possessive woman, but he sounds more relieved than happy about the situation. Originally, BB didn’t want the strings on the song, but after he slept on it he thought they were ok. At the time, this was a departure for him. This is one of the best “kiss-off” songs of all time. An absolute necessity for any blues fan.
Rabu, 30 Mei 2012
The Karate Kid (2010)
Genre: Action/Sports/Drama
Starring: Jaden Smith, Jacki Chan, Taraji P. Henson, Wenwen Han, Rongguang Yu, Zhenwei Wang
A remake of the 1984 classic, the movie tells film-makers exactly how a remake should be made. Rather than lifting each and every thing from the original movie and simply reproducing it in modern times, the movie greatly improves on the story, setup and cast to not just replicate the original but to make it better and more appealing to modern audiences. Dre Parker (Smith) has moved to China with his mother (Henson) since she got a new job in Beijing. Dre finds it extremely hard to adjust with the Chinese students and soon gets bullied by Cheng (Wang) and his friends when Dre tries to befriend Meiying (Han). Dre bears the brunt and is regularly beaten up due to their superior Kung Fu skills that Dre just doesn't have. Dre's apartment house maintenance man Mr. Han (Chang) sees Dre's situation and agrees to help him. Peace talks with Cheng's Kung Fu master, Master Li (Yu) go nowhere and Mr. Han proposes a fight at the Kung Fu tournament. Dre must train under the guidance of Mr. Han regularly is he wishes to emerge as the final winner and win back his honour. The movie carefully replaces USA with China, Karate with Kung Fu, Mr. Miyagi with Mr. Han but leaves everything else to be the same. Lovers of the original would not cry foul but instead love the remake for what it is. It may not take the movie to another level but it lives up to its reputation which is more than just enough. Jackie Chan sheds his Chinese Kung Fu warrior image to take on a more peaceful, unfit Kung Fu master and does a lot by doing so little. Good enough or maybe a little bit better than the original too.
Thumbs up: Jackie Chan
Thumbs down: Doesn't substantially improve the original
Rating: 6.8/10
Selasa, 29 Mei 2012
Sejenak Bersama Tuna Netra
Di sekitar lingkungan saya terdapat sebuah Yayasan Tuna Netra, dan saya sempat mengamati sesekali banyak sekali orang yang lalu lalang berdatangan ketempat itu. Disela penasaran saya, maka saya tanyakan kepada warga sekitar, ternyata itu memang Yayasan khusus untuk orang yang Tuna Netra. Lalu saya bertanya ada beberapa orang yang berdatangan kesana dia bukan Tuna Netra, dan warga pun menjawab, kalau itu dia memang membuka pijit untuk umum.
Disela-sela di urut saya memberanikan diri untuk bertanya tentang kegiatan-kegiatan apa saja yang dilakukan kepada Yayasannya. Dan karena tidak puas maka saya meminta waktu setelah selesai urut untuk menginterview beliau, diluar dugaan, ternyata saya disambut dengan baik.
Saya membuat janji 1 hari setelah saya diurut, dan keesokan harinya saya konfirmasi, ternyata memang beliau siap untuk saya wawancarai (Sok jadi wartawan).
Lalu saya datang ketempat beliau kembali dengan bermodalkan BB untuk mencatat sekiranya ada yang bisa saya abadikan dalam tulisan saya.
Namanya Pak Panggeng, "gak usah pakai nama samaran mas kalau mau ditulis diblog", itu pintanya. Saya sangat senang sekali tentunya. Pak Panggeng ini memiliki 2 orang anak yang kebetulan kedua-duanya adalah Laki-laki. Pak Panggeng ini mengalami "kebutaan" dikarenakan sakit, bukan turunan. Jadi kedua anaknya terlahir normal tentunya.
Yayasan Tuna Netra yang dibangun oleh Pak Panggeng ini mencakupi wilayah Tangerang dan sekitarnya, alamak luas juga ternyata. Karena Yayasan yang dimiliki oleh Pak Panggeng ini masih terbilang jarang, bahkan dinas sosial pun belum tentu membuatkan tempat semacam ini satu untuk satu daerah.
Semangat yang luar biasa memang tampak pada wajah beliau. Walaupun beliau Tuna Netra tapi beliau tidak seperti kebanyakan, beliau tetap sibuk dengan handphonenya. Dalam Yayasan Tuna Netra ini beliau membuka kelas yaitu, Alqur'an, Memijat dan Komputer.
Alqur'an yang berjenis Braile, tapi komputernya ?
Setidaknya itu pertanyaan untuk saya, namun saya diajak kedalam kelasnya beliau. Dinyalakanlah komputernya dan ditunjukkannya cara dia menggunakannya.
Subhanallah ....
Komputer itu berbunyi disetiap cursor yang terhinggapi text, dan itulah panduan beliau menggunakan komputer. Untuk kelas Komputer beliau membuka 3 kelas dan Alqurannya memiliki 2 kelas. Selain belajar membaca Alqur'an beliau juga mengajarkan cara khotbah, khotbah muhadoroh dan belajar khotbah lainnya.
Braile untuk pemula diajarkan iqro dan tahswin. Dan beliau memanggil tutor dari kalangan Tuna Netra dan ada yang dari kalangan Netral. Satu Tutor biasanya beliau bayar 100 rb satu kali pertemuan. Pendidikan biasanya dilakukan dalam waktu 4 bulan untuk satu kelas. Setelah lulus beliau berikan sertifikat hanya legalisir dari beliau belum dari diknas.
Begitupun dengan Kelas memijatnya, beliaupun membuka beberapa teori dalam teknik memijat. Bahwasanya yang beliau ajarkan tidak asal-asalan memijat, dia memberikan teori mulai dari Shiatsu, Refleksi dan ilmu yang lainnya.
Lalu saya bertanya dari mana ia dapatkan ilmu itu semua, dan ia pun menjawab pernah mengikuti kursus diluar kota yang pernah diadakan oleh Pemerintah, setelah dari sana maka ia berniat mendirikan sebuah Yayasan yang betujuan untuk membimbing para Tuna Netra "Se Indonesia".
Beliau mengatakan Kebutaan saya ini bukan satu alasan saya untuk malas, untuk mengemis dan untuk meminta-minta, justru saya berfikir bagaimana saya dapat terus survive dan tumbuh bersama dengan orang-orang yang normal.
Itu sebuah perkataan yang luar biasa.
Kesulitan yang beliau hadapi adalah masalah dana, dimana ia hanya mendapat dana dari Pemerintah Kota sebesar 5 Juta dalam satu tahun. Yang notabene nya peminat kursus ditempatnya sudah semakin membludak alias banyak.
Beliau masih mengharapkan dari para dermawan yang ingin menyumbangkan amalnya untuk Yayasan yang dibinanya. "Jika ada kawan-kawan atau sanak famili yang ingin membantu bisa hubungi saya yah mas Arie", itu kalimat yang diucapkannya.
Bila saya compare dengan orang yang lalu lalang yang saya perhatikan selama 1 bulan ini, memang sepertinya dana 5 Juta itu tidak akan mencukupi kebutuhan Yayasan itu sendiri. Saya melihat memang berapa banyak kaum Tuna Netra yang lalu lalang datang ketempat dimana Yayasannya berdiri.
Ini sungguh satu hal yang luar biasa, dan diluar dugaan saya diberikan kesempatan untuk menginterview beliau secara khusus. Satu kesempatan yang luar biasa, dan interview pertama yang menakjubkan untuk saya.
Memang Jodoh itu tidak ada yang pernah tahu, saya belajar banyak dari apa yang beliau lakukan dengan yang saya lakukan. Dengan keterbatasan yang beliau miliki, beliau memiliki satu visi yang sangat besar, dimana saya sendiri tidak memiliki visi sebesar itu, belum berani bahkan.
Tapi beliau memang sangat luar biasa, dan saya sering memikirkan bahwa dia pasti orang yang spesial dihadirkan untuk bumi kita tersayang ini. Saya beruntung dapat bertemu dengan orang sangat spesial kali ini.
Beliau tidak mengeluh dengan keadaan beliau, "SAMA SEKALI", bahkan beliau memang terlihat "fun" dalam melakukan semua kegiatannya. Sungguh luar biasa.
Interview ditutup dengan hidangan teh manis yang disediakan oleh Istri tercintanya. Lalu dia menanyakan akan dipublish dimana tulisannya, "Blog yah ?"
Dia mengerti blog juga cui ....
"Iya pak", lanjut saya.
"Saya membuat blog yang bertemakan Social Creative yang berisikan tentang semua hal yang sosial dan kreatifitas manusia", lanjut saya.
"Sukses buat blognya yah mas", Lanjutnya.
WOw ... blog saya didoakan man .... Amien, amien.
Lalu saya mencicipi teh manisnya, dan tidak lama dari itu saya ijin pulang, karena grogi dan agak nervous, interview pertama cui ....
Saya pamit dan salam, sambil sama-sama mendoakan semoga dengan dipublishnya tulisan saya kali ini bisa memberikan manfaat untuk Beliau dan pembaca blog saya.
Lalu saya membawa tulisan didalam memopad didalam bb saya, ijin pulang.
Sesampainya dirumah saya menuliskan kembali kedalam sebuah buku saya, dan say inkubasi selama 2 minggu, setelah itu barulah sekarang saya publish diblog saya.
Sumber :
Bapak Panggeng : 081380789783
(bagi yang berminat untuk menyumbang atau beramal, bisa menghubungi langsung ke Nomor Beliau).
Salam Kreatif,
@rie fabian-
www.fabianstudio.biz
The Next Karate Kid (1994)
Genre: Action/Drama
Starring: Pat Morita, Hilary Swank, Chris Conrad, Michael Cavalieri, Michael Ironside
A second attempt to revive the legendary movie brand, a lose remake of the 1984 movie sees some big changes than what the earlier movies showed. Julie Pierce (Swank) is a frustrated and angry high school student who lost her parents as a child and currently lives with her grandmother. Julie is unable to get along with her grandmother and when Mr. Miyagi (Morita) sees her behaviour whilst visiting their house, offers to help improve Julie. Mr. Miyagi decides to teach her karate and teach her all she needs to know to become a better person and improve her life. A member of the school security fraternity, Ned (Cavalieri) takes an evil liking for Julie and is very annoyed when she sees her getting friendly with his co-member Eric McGowen (Conrad). Just like the previous movie, this one too is focused on teaching a young American child the way of karate to ultimately defeat the enemy at the very end and reclaim their honour. The movie hugely fails to live up to the expectations of the original movie with no drastic improvements to make it any better. It tries to be different but yet fundamentally retains the same character. It seems hugely overdone and something new in this brand is seriously needed.
Thumbs up: Hilary Swank seems to be the only decent performance
Thumbs down: Slow, boring and too repetitive from the earlier movie
Rating: 5.5/10
Senin, 28 Mei 2012
Dirty Work (1998)
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Starring: Norm MacDonald, Artie Lange, Jack Warden, Traylor Howard, Christopher McDonald, Chevy Chase
'Do what you are always best at', is a famous saying once said by some very famous person. Two good friends, Mitch (MacDonald) and Sam (Lange) intend to literally adhere to this phrase. The duo are good at nothing and have changed an infinite number of jobs but somehow cannot find anything stable. The only thing they are good at is creating mischief. The two always pulled pranks at various people in their lives and a sudden brilliant idea makes them want to cash in on this ability of theirs and earn some money. Sam's father needs a heart transplant and his doctor, Dr. Farthings (Chase) wants $50,000 for the transplant and also to pay off some bookies who are looking for him and would kill him in 9 days. The two now have to come up with $50,000, which was already an uphill task, and must now additionally earn that in an impossible nine days' time. The best thing about the movie is the unique concept and story that makes it very appealing at first sight. The reason why one must not give in to this appeal is because of the poor performances and worthless humour. The movie seems to fit the definition of the word 'lame' and lacks the excitement that it otherwise should have had.
Thumbs up: Unique concept and story
Thumbs down: Bad humour and performances
Rating: 5.5/10
Minggu, 27 Mei 2012
Bad Company (2002)
Genre: Action/Crime/Adventure
Starring: Chris Rock, Anthony Hopkins, Peter Stormare, Kerry Washington
An attempt by the CIA to buy back a nuclear warhead in the black market goes bad and they end up losing a valuable operative, Agent Kevin Pope (Rock) to the hands of rival buyers. In order to complete the mission, Pope was needed as the Russian seller, Vas (Stormare) would not sell to anyone else. The CIA discover that Pope had an estranged twin brother where both did not know of the others existence. Enter Jake Hayes (Rock) a New Jersey resident who makes money doing random tasks just like any other person of his kind. The CIA recruit him and have 9 days to train him to look, talk and walk exactly like his twin in order to convince Vas that Pope never died. Agent Oakes (Hopkins) is in charge of the entire mission and must make sure that Hayes is well trained and does not mess the deal which could potentially cost thousands of American lives. Chris Rock's performance is not fabulous but does the job to make the movie interesting and entertaining. Watching him transform from typical street to typical CIA is fun and very much Chris Rock. The movie is like just any other spy movie whdre an American law enforcement agency is chasing after terrorists and bombs but Rock's appearance lighten things up greatly and makes this movie a wholesome entertainment.
Thumbs up: Chris Rock and his humour
Thumbs down: Run of the mill storyline
Rating: 6.8/10
Sabtu, 26 Mei 2012
Opening Salvos...
The Ultimate Classic Rock website published a list of the 10 Best Opening Songs from classic rock albums. Having read the list, I said “I can do better.” The ground rules for my list are simple and few – don’t limit the list to just ten, and pick only one song from any band. So here’s my list in no order whatsoever. I know I left out a few. Feel free to disagree and discuss...
Statesboro Blues [Allman Brothers Band, At Fillmore East, 1971] – Perhaps the best live album from a rock band, this song opens with the immortal words “Ok, the Allman Brothers Band…” This song is the band’s calling card.
Black Sabbath [Black Sabbath, Black Sabbath, 1970] – awhile back I wrote a blog about Tony Iommi and I said that if one put a gun to my head and asked what is the quintessential Tony Iommi track, I said Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. I also said that could change on any given day. Well today is that given day. This is the first song from the first album from the guys who invented heavy metal.
Like a Rolling Stone [Bob Dylan, Highway 61 Revisited, 1965] – Dylan’s electric phase starts here, and it begins literally with an “opening salvo;” the crack of a drum.
Highway Star [Deep Purple, Machine Head, 1972] – This song is Deep Purple at its finest. As fate would have it, it is also the opening track from their live album Made in Japan [1973].
White Room [Cream, Wheels of Fire, 1968] – Wheels of Fire was the very first album to be certified “Platinum.” White Room shows Cream at their studio best, with Ginger Baker’s uncredited 5/4 intro, Clapton’s wah-wah drenched soloing, and Jack Bruce doing a superb job singing Pete Brown’s goofy-assed lyrics.
Break On Through [The Doors, The Doors, 1967] – I had to flip a coin between this one Roadhouse Blues from Morrison Hotel. This was the world’s introduction to The Lizard King.
Bertha [Grateful Dead, Skull & Roses, 1971] – After the pastoral acoustic albums that were Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty, the Dead plug back in and record another live album. Los Lobos did a better version, but this one still smokes!
Rocky Mountain Way [Joe Walsh, The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get, 1973] - Post-James Gang, pre-Eagles Joe Walsh at his finest. This is Joe’s best song as a solo artist.
Aqualung [Jethro Tull, Aqualung, 1971] – a classic rock staple from a “concept” album. I have a warm place in my heart for this one. My friend Alan and I were working sound for a Black Student Union party at USC. After hearing too many rap and hip-hop songs, we went downstairs, cracked open a bottle of Black Velvet and turned on the stereo. This was the song that came on and saved our sanity.
Enter Sandman [Metallica, The Black Album, 1991] – Metallica finally hit paydirt with this masterpiece when they ditched the long songs with the changing time signatures, shortened their songs and decided to do songs in 4/4 time. One from …And Justice For All finally got the public to notice the band. Enter Sandman turned them into millionaires.
Ace of Spades [Motörhead, Ace of Spades, 1980] – Is this punk, is it metal, or is it a cross-pollination of both? Who cares! It’s Lemmy!
My My Hey Hey (Out of the Blue) [Neil Young, Rust Never Sleeps, 1978] – Neil Young’s acoustic ode to Elvis and Johnny Rotten, the electric version of which closes the album.
Red Rain [Peter Gabriel, So, 1986] – Peter Gabriel finally hit the big time with So. The big hit from that album was Sledgehammer, but I like this one much better.
Gimme Shelter [Rolling Stones, Let It Bleed, 1969] – this is the coolest song Keith Richards ever wrote, period. Need I say more?
Wouldn't It Be Nice [The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds, 1966] – Pet Sounds is Brian Wilson’s masterpiece. A lot of times Carl Wilson or Mike Love had the main mike, but this time it’s Brian’s turn.
A Hard Day's Night [The Beatles, A Hard Day’s Night. 1964] – There are so many other great Beatles opening tracks to choose from [Help!, Taxman, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Back in the USSR, Come Together], but I choose this one. This song is what Beatlemania sounds like.
Welcome to the Jungle [Guns ‘N Roses. Appetite for Destruction, 1987] – Let’s face it – the 1980s had a lot of real shitty hair metal. Welcome to the Jungle was a great, refreshing, and real. This kicked the crap out of poseurs everywhere.
London Calling [The Clash, London Calling, 1979] – Is there really any explanation needed for why this song is on my list?
Baba O'Riley [The Who, Who’s Next, 1971] – There is nothing The Who did before 1971 that came close to sounding like this. There is a running argument between Carol and I about “the best Who song ever.” This is Carol’s choice [mine is Won’t Get Fooled Again].
Highway to Hell [AC/DC. Highway to Hell, 1979] – The Ultimate Classic Rock website chose Hells Bells from Back in Black [a worthy choice]. I choose this one. Why? Bon Scott, that’s why.
21st Century Schizoid Man [King Crimson, In the Court of the Crimson King, 1969] – For better or for worse, this song is the template for progressive rock. Gov’t Mule did a smokin’ version on Mulennium.
Born on the Bayou [Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bayou Country, 1969] – This song and Proud Mary define CCR. If someone wants to know what “swampy” means, play them this song.
Purple Haze [Jimi Hendrix Experience, Are You Experienced? (US version), 1967] – When I bought this album on vinyl, this was the leadoff track. The UK’s version had Foxey Lady. It’s Jimi Freakin’ Hendrix!
Waitin' for the Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago [ZZ Top, Tres Hombres, 1973] – I know, it’s really two songs, but have you heard one without the other? Didn’t think so…
Black Dog [Led Zeppelin, LZ IV (or ‘Zoso’ or ‘Untitled’), 1971] – No explanation required.
2112 [Rush, 2112, 1976] - Heavy metal meets science-fiction concept. It's all one song with several movements. In my feeble mind, that counts.
2112 [Rush, 2112, 1976] - Heavy metal meets science-fiction concept. It's all one song with several movements. In my feeble mind, that counts.
Batman (1989)
Genre: Science-fiction/Action/Crime
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Michael Gough
The rich billionaire who is an antique dealer by day goes by the name of Batman at night. He prowls the city and gets rid of all the scum and filth and wipes the streets of Gotham City clean. Few people know the truth about Bruce Wayne (Keaton). Not just about Batman but also about his personal life and past. He leads a very quiet and secretive life and before long the beautiful and charming photographer, Vicki Vale (Basinger) enters his life and manages to change everything. Jack Napier (Nicholson) is a criminal mastermind of Gotham City who has an unfortunate chemical reaction which leaves him with an altered appearance and the knack of laughing all the time, hence he is now known as the Joker. The Joker blames Batman for his appearance and seeks revenge and his revenge will be the lives of one and all of Gotham City. His threat is about to turn into reality only if Batman can stop him and bring him to justice. The movie is a very typical superhero movie with the good winning over the bad and the usual damsel in distress who needs to be rescued from the hands of the good for nothing villain. Apart from Nicholson's exceptional performance, the movie is the average entertainer. It marks the start of a long line of Batman movies which live up to this very day.
Thumbs up: Jack Nicholson
Thumbs down: Average story, nothing exceptional
Rating: 6.3/10
Kamis, 24 Mei 2012
Passchendaele (2008)
Genre: War/Drama/Romance/History/Action
Starring: Paul Gross, Caroline Dhavernas, Joe Dinicol
We all have heard and watched movies of American, French, British, German and Japanese involvement in the World Wars. This movie shows Canada's involvement in World War I, a war in which she was not directly involved but sent her sons since it came under the British Empire. The movie sets a love story of two separate individuals against the backdrop of the war and all the suffering and emotions that come with it. Sgt. Michael Dunne (Gross) has been asked to returned home since he was diagnosed with neurasthenia and deemed unfit to serve on the battlefield. It was here that he met nurse Sarah Mann (Dhavernas) and instantly felt attracted to her. He was assigned to recruit young men to join the army and one such recruit was Sarah's brother, David (Dinicol). David suffers from asthma and hence cannot serve on the front due to which he cannot get his girlfriends' fathers acceptance who openly ridicules him. The movie shows two men, of different ages, both having their own worries with love and war and both suffering from disorders that disallows them to fight for their country. The movie mixes war and love nicely and brings out the true heartbreak that one must face when war divides love and family. However, the time spent on the romance is slow and stretched which loses audience attention. The movie quickly recovers to offer a decent climax but not the best. The war scenes of gore and bloodshed that may not be watchable for all. A well made movie only needed a more hurtful and emotional climax.
Thumbs up: Good concept
Thumbs down: Slow and dragged at times, climax could be better.
Rating: 6.1/10
Minggu, 20 Mei 2012
Vantage Point (2008)
Genre: Crime/Action
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, William Hurt, Eduardo Noriega, Ayelet Zurer, Said Taghmaoui, Edgar Ramirez, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Alicia Zapien
A world political summit to end terrorism is being held at Salamanca, Spain where leaders of various countries would come together to sign an agreement to end terrorism once and for all. The movie revolves around a unique plot structure where the events of a single day are shown in multiple flashbacks from different points of view of various people at the summit. The movie shows the occurrences through six vantage points, which is, a news reporter Angie (Saldana) and her producer Rex (Brooks), US Secret Service Agent Thomas Barnes (Quaid), undercover Spanish police officer Enrique (Noriega), American tourist Howard Lewis (Whitaker), US President Ashton (Hurt) and terrorist Sam aka Suarez (Taghmaoui). Although the plot layout is interesting, the start of each of the six points are similar which gets a bit annoying to see and hear the same clips and audio over and over again. The movie becomes interesting and picks up pace towards the end to quickly wrap the plot and get over with it. The story, in isolation, is very basic and short but the focus predominantly lies in the same event happening through the eyes of various individuals. Interesting movie and can be recommended for a one time watch for action and crime enthusiasts.
Thumbs up: Unique plot structure
Thumbs down: Gets a bit annoying to watch the same footage too many times, basic story
Rating: 6.5/10
Sabtu, 19 Mei 2012
The Karate Kid, Part III (1989)
Genre: Action/Drama/Sports
Starring: Pat Morita, Ralph Macchio, Robyn Lively, Thomas Ian Griffith, Martin Kove, Sean Kanan
Continuing from where the second part left behind, Mr. Miyagi (Morita) and Daniel (Macchio) return home to LA only to find that their house is being demolished and they need to move somewhere else. With Daniel's mother busy looking after his ailing uncle, Mr. Miyagi takes Daniel to his house but since the demolition of Daniel's house, he has lost his janitors job and has no source of income. Daniel persuades him to open a bonsai shop and rents a location out of his college fees. John Kreese (Kove) the trainer at the Cobra Kai, the dojo that lost against Daniel is out of business too since no one wants to train with him anymore. He visits his mentor and good friend, a billionaire and crook who helps him to revive his ailing career and promises to get even with Daniel and Miyagi. The Karate championship is coming up once again and Daniel wants to defend his title, to the disagreement of Mr. Miyagi. He doesn't believe that Karate should be used to win trophies and sticks to his view that it should only be used to defend himself in the hour of need. Disappointed, Daniel decides to get trained alone and maybe even from someone else. The movie continues to be a bore like the previous movie and does not spark the excitement that the first movie had. Ralph Macchio's performance is annoying, he looks fat and ugly and cannot act for anything in the world. The movie shows you glimpses of Karate once more and tries to replicate the first movie but fails miserably. The story is far too predictable and the only persons who might want to waste time on it is those who simply want to complete the series, like me.
Thumbs up: Zero
Thumbs down: Annoying Ralph Macchio's performance, boring and predictable
Rating: 5.5/10
Will Bodemeister Buck History?
The courageous Bodemeister may attempt to take the Preakness field on a merry chase from gate to wire. If he manages this, he’ll be only the second horse in eleven years to accomplish this feat.
The Preakness Stakes is not kind to front runners. The only horse to wire the field in the last eleven years was the phenomenal Rachel Alexandra. Even the front running War Emblem and Shackleford switched tactics in the Preakness and rated in second place before grabbing the lead in the stretch and racing on to victory. Other than Rachel Alexandra, the only other pace setter who managed to finish well was First Dude in 2010. The large colt lead held a comfortable one length lead at the ¾ pole after setting solid, but not overly fast fractions. Lookin At Lucky grabbed the lead in the stretch and posted a ¾ length victory over First Dude.
Many handicappers think that Bodemeister is the lone speed and can’t or won’t rate. Most feel that the Preakness is shaping up as a match race between Bodemeister and the Kentucky Derby hero I’ll Have Another. But this year, rarely have the expected match races shaped up as planned. Remember way back in March when Union Rags was supposed to go head and head with El Padrino?
We won’t know until the gates open whether his pilot Mike Smith will attempt to settle the Bodemeister off of a front runner. There is speed to his inside in the form of Teeth of the Dog and Pretension. Neither colt owns Bodemeister type speed, but could run fast enough to keep things interesting. I’ll Have Another may also sit closer to the pace. Mario Gutierrez wisely kept the son of Flower Alley farther back than usual in the Derby to avoid being caught in the wake of Bodemeister’s rapid fractions.
Another colt who should be closer than he was in the Derby is Creative Cause. The pretty gray colt generally prefers to sit within four lengths of the lead, but was taken out of his typical running style in the Derby. Creative Cause was twelve lengths off of the lead in the opening stages of the Derby and was stuck eight wide at the ¼ pole. He still managed to gain a few lengths through the stretch and finished three lengths behind I’ll Have Another.
The fourth place runner-up in the Kentucky Derby also comes back for another shot at glory. Went The Day Well flew through the Churchill stretch coming up only 2 ½ lengths short of the winner and ¾ length and a neck from second place. The lightly raced colt’s speed figures have improved in every start and if he gets at least a moderate pace to run at, you can be sure he’ll be storming down the lane again.
The Kentucky Derby “wise guy” horse Daddy Nose Best, had traffic troubles during the running of the race and checked in tenth. A better effort is expected from him.
The other pretty gray horse in the field is Cozzetti. The son of Cozzene owns only a maiden win in the slop to his credit, but made up some ground in the Tampa Bay Derby to finish third. So far, Cozzetti either isn’t as good as his connections think, or the colt simply hasn’t decided who he wants to be when he grows up. His breeding screams turf, but like his dirt starts, Cozzetti’s turf races have been rather average. Typical of many turf runners, he has a proven affinity for mud. Unfortunately for Cozzetti, rain isn’t in the Preakness forecast.
Optimizer is also looking to improve his dirt form in the Preakness. Like Cozzetti, the son of English Channel has a strong turf pedigree. He has proven turf form, but his connections insist on attempting to make him something he isn’t – a graded stakes winner over dirt. Optimizer used his late turn of foot to pass rivals in the stretch of the Arkansas Derby, but most of them were struggling after chasing the fractions set by Secret Circle. Perhaps once Optimizer’s connections get the Triple Crown fever out of their system, they’ll let the well-bred Optimizer fulfill his turf potential.
Teeth of the Dog and Zetterholm are both lightly raced colts with good records and improving speed figures. They are taking a huge jump in class and may be out of their league. Pretension is the local hope and owns a win over the Pimlico surface. He’ll try to follow in the hoofprints of Magic Wisner and Scrappy T, two locals who made good in the Preakness. Tiger Walk has proven that graded stakes competition is above his class level.
SELECTIONS:
How much did the Kentucky Derby take out of the gallant BODIEMEISTER? We won’t find that out until the stretch of the Preakness. The son of Empire Maker is showing hints of greatness, so maybe we’ll be treated to another display of torrid speed mixed with stamina. I’LL HAVE ANOTHER is undefeated as a three year old, but doesn’t seem to garner the same respect. WENT THE DAY WELL is the Preakness wise guy. He’s improving and lightly raced. His late pace speed figure for the Derby was better than the top two finishers. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the winner’s circle. CREATIVE CAUSE is a gutsy horse who tries hard every time. He’s had a tough campaign this year, but he’s another who could finish in the money. DADDY NOSE BEST will take another shot at Grade 1 company. He could jump up for a minor award. The local horse PRETENSION could get brave if he winds up stalking Bodemeister. Everyone wants a Triple Crown winner, so we’ll hope one of the lesser entrants presses Bodiemeister and we have another.
#9 I’LL HAVE ANOTHER
#7 BODEMEISTER
#5 WENT THE DAY WELL
#8 DADDY NOSE BEST – longshot pick
Jumat, 18 Mei 2012
Horrible Bosses (2011)
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Crime
Starring: Jason Bateman, Kevin Spacey, Charlie Day, Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Collin Farrell, Jamie Foxx
Remember that dinner with friends where someone throws a completely stupid idea and everyone plays along and agrees to doing it knowing full well that its just a stupid joke? And remember the next morning when you wake up and you actually think you might want to after all execute that thought that randomly came up over yesterdays dinner? Three friends, Nick (Bateman), Kurt (Sudeikis) and Dayle (Day) contemplated over the thought of killing their bosses and after a few days that thought started moulding into a real thought. Nick's boss, Dave Harken (Spacey) is a maniac who squeezes every drop out of his employees and treats them like slaves. Bobby Pellitt (Farrell) is Kurt's coke addicted boss who has no interest in the company or anyone's welfare and simply wants to have one big party all the time. Dale's boss is the super-hot and sexy Dr. Julia (Aniston) who is a sex maniac and is trying to get Dale to sleep with her. That may not seem all that bad for most people but Dayle is due to get married and he fears being disloyal to his fiance. The trio decide to kill the three bosses and make their life better and approach the first black shady man they meet, Mr. Motherfu***r Jones (Foxx). The movie is cleverly set against the backdrop of the global recession with dwindling job opportunities and showing people doing almost anything to earn some money. Its got a different edge to it and is definitely a good fun watch. A lot of working folk might associate themselves with the feeling of killing their bosses and this movie captures that exact moment. Its not laugh out loud funny but its definitely worth the entertainment.
Thumbs up: Great fun, good plot
Thumbs down: Would have been a repeat watch if it was crazy funny
Rating: 7.1/10
Selasa, 15 Mei 2012
Dial M for Murder (1954)
Genre: Crime/Drama/Mystery
Starring: Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings, John Williams, Anthony Dawson
Alfred Hitchcock, murder and crime in the same sentence go very well together. His movies have spearheaded the crime and murder investigation genre and had put a heavy focus on detectives. Tony Wendice (Milland) is a reasonably well to do, married and middle aged man who used to love to play tennis. He married Margot (Kelly) who didn't want him to pursue the sport for whom he was forced to give it up. Margot had an affair with an American crime novelist Mark Halliday (Cummings) about whom Tony later learnt about. His regret for leaving tennis for his wife and now she leaving him for another man pushed him to the edge where he started plotting her murder. His carefully crafted plan involved C. J. Swan aka Captain Lesgate (Dawson) who was to execute the plan and murder his wife. Yet the most well-crafted plan always has a flaw, the most obvious flaw that is undetectable but yet too obvious. The movie crafts a perfect mystery and the character of Tony Wendice, the smart and thoughtful man who thinks far and thinks well and does justice to the plot. The only chink in the erstwhile formidable armour is in the plot itself. The entire crime scene is revealed early on in the movie with the murder itself taking place. Now that you know exactly what happened, its only a matter of solving it. This leaves little room for a climax and stunning end and the audience is more or less prepared for the outcome. A great murder mystery nonetheless which is simple and sweet, to the point and does not have any complicated parallel stories to lose focus of the main plot.
Thumbs up: Great performances and good crime scene
Thumbs down: Not a very strong climax
Rating: 7.6/10
Jumat, 11 Mei 2012
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
Genre: Fantasy/Science-fiction/Action/Adventure/Drama/Romance
Starring: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, John Alexander, James Dodd, Seth MacFarlane, Luke Goss, Anna Walton, Jeffrey Tambor
In continuation to the previous Hellboy but at the same time adapting a different storyline, the second movie narrates the story of the Golden Army. King Balor is the ruler of the elves who clashed with the humans and fought long and bloody battles with no result. One of the elves builds him a Golden Army, an army of machines that are indestructible and can win any war. With this power he squashed the humans, but the bloodshed gave him a change of heart and he broke the crown that controls the army into three pieces. He made piece with the humans and gave them a piece of the crown and kept two to himself. Only if the three pieces would come together would the Golden Army once again rise. Balor's son, Prince Nuada (Goss) was against his fathers doings and has decided to return from exile and awaken the Golden Army and take the Earth as his. Hellboy (Perlman) is still fighting crime and other paranormal beings with his colleagues Abe Sapien (Jones) a psychic human-fish, Liz Sherman (Blair) his lover who can control fire and Johann Krauss (Alexander & Dodd, MacFarlene (voice)) an ectoplasmic creature and the team leader. They must come together and fight Nuada and not allow him to awaken the army as it will squash the Earth and bring doom to all. The movie is an improvement from the previous version on many fronts by making it more lively and entertaining. The romance between Liz and Hellboy and Abe and Princess Nuala (Walton) might seem to alter the stories speed and continuity but it adds character and makes it feel more wholesome. A sure watch for some good action, a huge helping of beasts and demons and the fair bit of drama.
Thumbs up: Good overall package
Thumbs down: Romance kills the flow
Rating: 6.8/10
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